This invention relates to a method for establishing a telecommunication connection from a caller to a called party over at least one telecommunication network, in which the called party can possibly be reached on a number of telephone numbers stored in the telecommunication network.
A method for successively calling a called telecommunication subscriber on a number of telephone numbers stored for him is known, in principle. Under ISDN, for example, automatic call forwarding can be programmed, for example, in a terminal, and forwards the call to one or more successively dialed other stored telephone numbers if no telephone connection can be successfully set up here (because the handset is not picked up on this telephone number).
During the successive dialing of a number of stored telephone numbers of a caller, the calling party experiences a waiting time which can easily be quite long in the case of a relatively large number of telephone numbers of the called party. This especially applies in the case where, when one of the possible stored telephone numbers of the called party is called, the telecommunication network waits for a predetermined time (time out) for example by letting the telephone on this telephone number perform a predetermined number of rings (e.g. 10).
The object of the present invention is, therefore, to optimize as simply and ergonomically as possible the waiting time of a calling party who calls a called party having a number of stored telephone numbers on which the called party can possibly be reached.
Since, according to the invention, the telephone number on which a called party has last been successfully reached is stored in the telecommunication network and this stored telephone number of the called party is in each case called first in a successive calling of a called party, the waiting times are shortened successfully and in a simple manner for the calling party since this method implicitly takes into consideration the probability of a successful call. Since no elaborate statistics need to be maintained for this, the method can be executed and implemented in a simple and inexpensive manner. It is also very ergonomic for the caller since no additional actions or inputs are required from him.
The method can also be used if the call between the caller and the called party is conducted via a number of telecommunication networks, for example two mobile radio networks or one landline network and one mobile radio network. The signaling during the attempted call setup (on in each case one of the stored called telephone numbers) can be carried out in the usual manner.
If one of the stored telephone numbers of a called party at which he can be reached is a mobile telephone number, it is appropriate to call this mobile telephone number first.
It can already be considered to be a successful setup of a telephone connection to one of the stored telephone numbers if the called party lifts the handset and a complete connection (complete voice connection/TCH) is produced or only if someone answers personally with a human voice on a telephone number of the called party or if, after the lifting of the handset, an acoustic (voice or DTMF) input occurs at the end of the called party, especially an input requested by the telecommunication network (e.g. xe2x80x9cpress 1 or say 1 if you want to accept the callxe2x80x9d). One of the telephone numbers stored for a called party can be a universal telephone number. However, the universal telephone number can also be stored separately and only produce the successive dialing of other ones, namely the telephone numbers stored as possible numbers of the called party.
In particular, the universal telephone number can be a mobile number of the called party.
The stored telephone numbers of a called party can be changed, for example by Internet or via a mobile telecommunication network or a landline network. In this context, in particular, the times of day (possibly differentiated by days of the week) at which a called party wishes to be available on his stored telephone numbers in what order can be stored, and if there is a stored last successful telephone number (according to the invention), an override (dialing of this stored last successful telephone number in principle) can be effected.
With regard to the device for implementing the invention, memories are provided for the several telephone numbers of a telecommunication subscriber on which the latter can possibly be reached, in principle, a memory for the telephone number on which he was available last and a telephone number dialing device which is constructed in such a manner (as program or as hardware implementation) that, when the called party is called, it successively dials his stored telephone numbers until a telecommunication connection is successfully set up and that it stores for a respective telecommunication subscriber the telephone number on which he was last successfully called. The telephone number dialing device is constructed in such a manner that it in each case attempts to reach a called party first on the telephone number on which he was last successfully available, that is to say a telecommunication connection was set up (for example by picking up the handset or picking up and giving a code word).